Rapscallion
by thePhonyOversized
Summary: After one too many tragic experiences, Nico turns to stealing as an outlet and becomes an infamous gentleman bandit called "The Ghost King." AU


RAPSCALLION

1. The Iron Dagger

* * *

"Thank _God_ you're here. I need to get home to my wife in five minutes or there'll be a murder," the policeman chuckled. He cleared his throat before continuing.

"You know what to do right? Just keep all the doors locked, walk around and check out the rooms a bit, and if you get hungry, there's a sandwich in the paper bag on top of the front desk."

The second man nodded as the policeman handed him the keys.

"Great! See you tomorrow, kid."

Nico di Angelo twirled the keys in between his fingers as he watched the door slam closed. A smirk played on his lips.

"Showtime."

He pulled out a pair of gloves from his pocket, slipping them on with ease. He took a white handkerchief and gingerly wiped the keys, walking around the corridors leisurely.

Casually, he slipped into the control room, his eyes instinctively scanning all of the television screens.

"There you are," he whispered, focusing his attention on a particular screen. A small glass case stood in the middle, a weathered iron dagger resting on a small pillow at the very center. Nico's eyes glinted.

He procured a small device from his pocket and attached it to the main computer. His fingers maneuvered through the keys expertly, the small device beeping quietly as he typed. Nico bit his lip, quickening his pace, until the device gave one final beep and all the screens shut down.

Quickly, he abandoned his policeman attire and pulled up a ski mask, covering half his face. He sprinted out of the room, a light skip in his steps, and headed straight for his new treasure.

The iron dagger stood at the very center of a large room decorated with a multitude of artifacts. Nico stepped forward and carefully lifted the glass lid, his muscles tensing as it slowly opened. He delicately placed the glass cover on the ground, and wrapped his excited fingers around the hilt of the dagger. He gave himself only a few seconds to admire it before slipping it into the gun holster in his belt.

"Now for the finishing touch . . . "

With a smirk, he rushed out of the room, his mind focused on only one thing – the _last_ thing he needed to do. He folded up his sleeve and glanced at his watch, the numbers looking blurry as he sped up. He dashed back into the control room and, with one quick swoop, gathered everything he needed.

Nico sprinted back to the bigger room, taking large, quiet strides. As he reached the room, he took a piece of paper from his pocket, along with his signature fountain pen. He scribbled on the piece of paper quickly and skillfully. He let the ink dry for a few seconds before laying it atop his masterpiece, and sealing it with the glass cover.

"My work here is done," said Nico, his hand unconsciously patting the dagger hanging around his waist.

He walked back to the control room, snatched his device from the main computer, and watched as all the screens turned back on. A slight smile curled his lips.

He dropped the keys on the front desk and grabbed the paper bag on his way out.

Nico took his time on his way home, fighting the strong urge to take out the dagger and admire it. He could just imagine the craftsmanship, the elaborate yet simple design, and the small stitches around the hilt that made it more expensive than most people, even those nitwitted curators, didn't realize.

When he was far enough from the museum, he pulled down the ski mask and slipped on a newsboy cap, tilting it down so it shielded his eyes. He stared at his feet as he walked, trying to use his unfolding shadow as a distraction from pulling out the dagger.

A yawn escaped Nico's lips as he walked up a hill, where a magnificent mansion sat at the very top, surrounded by a large black gate. A mixture of violet and white flowers decorated the iron bars of the fence. The mansion was painted an off-white color, vines dancing around several crevices in the ancestral walls. There was a faint light emanating from the windows.

Tightening his grip around the paper bag and hoping it survived his next stunt, Nico grabbed onto the iron bars and pulled himself up, ripping several flowers and destroying them. He hoisted himself over to the other side, his movements still quiet and nimble. With the paper bag and everything else still intact, he gave another yawn as he approached the front doors.

He knocked three times, hearing the thumps echo inside the house. There were several clinks as the door unlocked, joining the echoes disturbing the silence. An old, balding man wearing a tired black suit opened the door, a weary smile spreading across his lips as he spotted Nico.

"Master Nico," he said, his voice breathy and shaking.

"Charon, have you been up all night?" Nico asked, taking in the appearance of his most trusted servant.

"Had I fallen asleep, no one would have let you in," Charon replied.

"You really deserve a vacation," Nico handed Charon the paper bag before slowly taking the dagger from the holster.

Charon chuckled. "Oh, but you would be lost without me, Master Nico."

"You give yourself too much credit," Nico joked. He held up the dagger in front of Charon, a familiar glint in his eyes. He grinned. "Isn't it beautiful?"

Charon nodded silently.

"I'm going to take a short nap," Nico said, playing with the dagger in his hands. "Wake me up when it's time for the news."

Charon nodded. Nico slipped the dagger back into the holster. He lazily climbed several flights of stairs until he reached a large corridor decorated with a wide array of paintings and picture frames. There were around three large rooms. He entered the first one.

Quickly, he removed his belt and laid it on the bed before plopping next to it. He rested his arm protectively over the holster.

Hours past and Nico was fast asleep, his arm still lay atop his belt, unmoving. Tiny beads of sweat ran down the sides of his face. His deep breathing was the only sound in the room.

Charon shuffled up the stairs, clutching onto that day's newspaper. He knocked on the door three times before entering. Nico didn't even stir.

"Master Nico," he said, slowly shaking the young boy awake. Nico instinctively grabbed onto the holster as he sat up, his hazy vision taking its time to register what was happening.

Charon handed him the newspaper.

Nico shook his head and gave out a big yawn as he took the newspaper, his eyes widening as he scanned the front page. He grinned from ear to ear as he saw a picture of his masterpiece staring at him, the story of his theft told in great detail underneath the headline, "Famous Stygian dagger, stolen."

"Charon, look," Nico chuckled as he pointed at the picture. It was a photograph of the large museum room, the glass case of the iron dagger at the very center – inside however, instead of the dagger, was a messy pile of the folded policeman uniform, a small neatly folded note placed on top.

"Your most recent "masterpiece," I presume?" Charon's lips curled slightly at Nico's clear amusement with his little stint.

"Isn't it clever? I left the police a love letter this time," Nico said, refolding the newspaper and handing it back to Charon. "_Love, The Ghost King,_" Nico quoted.

"Whatever you say, Master Nico," Charon said. "Shall I start preparing breakfast? What would you like, sir?"

Nico smiled. "Surprise me."

* * *

"_To my most beloved,_

_I had a grand time last night. It's been a while since I've done something fun with you, and my God did I miss it! We should catch some dinner next time, maybe even a movie. I'll sit through all of "P.S. I Love You" if you want!_

_I'll see you soon xx_

_Love,_

_The Ghost King"_

Chief of Police Thalia Grace stood over the glass case reading the letter, each word oozing with increasing audacity. She gripped the note tightly, nearly crumpling the edges in frustration.

"Chief," an officer approached her, "What's our next move?"

Thalia took another glance at the letter, her jaw tightening. "I'm afraid we have no other choice – we wait for his next move."

* * *

(a/n):

So I hope you enjoyed reading this story! I actually had this written out late last year, but I never finished writing the ending and editing it, but finally here it is almost a year later! I got the idea while reading about Black Bart, the famous outlaw and gentleman bandit. It's my first time writing an AU like this, so I hope it turned out well :)

- Schoe xx

PS. **REVIEW!**


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